Thoughts on Church Growth

I have been reading a lot of church profiles lately.  A church profile is the information a church puts together to "sell" itself to potential clergy.

What I find is that a lot of churches are looking for ways to grow their congregation.  This is justified if we look at the way congregational numbers continue to drop.  We may see some growth in the mega-churches, but even that trend seems to be waning.  So with so many people lamenting the lack of church growth, and not having a huge die-off in potential church attenders, we must be doing something wrong in how we are the church to the world.

I think most people who say that they want to "grow the church" are looking for some technique that will bring people "in the doors."  Frankly, I think this is totally wrong.  When we get to thoughts like this, we become a commodity, just like anything else in society.  When we try to come up with a technique to lure people in, we are saying more about our faith than we are saying about the changes in society.

Growing a vibrant has to do with the congregations understanding of just what it means to be a congregation.  How is a congregation different than The Rotary, or The Junior League?  If people are looking for community, they can find it with the little league parents or with the dance moms; why do they need to come to church?  If we cannot come up with a convincing answer for ourselves, we will never come up with a convincing answer for someone else.

Often, I think congregations become just that, a way to socialize.  Not that finding a group with whom to socialize is bad!  But when your whole focus is on prying into all the "good gossip" of a particular group, well, there are some problems.  If we cannot see how congregational affiliation changes our life, then we cannot advocating for it changing others' lives.  If we do not feel that it has been a blessing to us, we will not want to share that blessing to others.  To me, it sounds simple.  But I would think to others, this is not a path of thought that has been much traveled.

I think to "grow the church" we need to "grow the faith of those present."  When evangelism become something that we just can't help but do, then we are on our way.  We do this all the time!  "Oh!  You HAVE to see Lincoln!  It is just the BEST movie!"  "The BEST beaches are found on the Jersey coast!  You need to plan a vacation there!"  We do it all the time, why don't we do it with our faith?  Are we less excited about our faith than the latest blockbuster movie?

Do the Crazy Know They Are Crazy?

I have been wondering about this for a while.  Sometimes I look at what is going on around me and I just have to shake my head.  I see what is happening in the world and get, well, not necessarily scare.

I do NOT want to live in a country where everyone has/needs a gun.  This concept is just crazy to me.  And what freaks me out more is that people who I trust and respect are all gung-ho about guns.  But it just sounds like total idiocy.  We are supposed to feel safer with MORE guns around?  And it doesn't look like it is going to end.  I do not want to live in a country where people are always so afraid that we need to be jumping at every movement.  

People say, "USA: love it or leave it."  Do you know how hard it is to leave it?  I can almost see Canada from my house, and I can drive there.  But to stay there is much more difficult.  I don't love the US anymore. I am ashamed of our country.  I am ashamed of the bullying that occurs on so may levels.  We have become a country where all we do is attack each other.

Am I crazy in wanting to leave?  Am I crazy in seeing our country going down a path that leads to places even more frightening?  I feel at a loss to do anything.

No, you are not going to convince me that more guns are ok.  Don't even try.  Comments that go in that direction will be removed.

FAE

In my opinion, the one point that should be DRILLED into people's' heads is the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE).  What the FAE says is that we attribute situational causes to our behavior while attributing dispositional causes to others behavior.  Perhaps an example would help:  I cut people off in traffic because I am late and need to get to my appointment.  You cut people off in traffic because you are a self-serving, self-engaged, Republican idiot.

Why this should be drilled into people's heads is because it IS fundamental.  We all do it, and we do it without even thinking about it.  But, it is also an ERROR!  And being an error, it gets in the way of being kind.  Look at how many attribution errors are made:  gays are unethical, Republicans are idiots, Baptists are  self-righteous pharisees, Muslims are bellicose freaks...  When we want to categorize any group of people, we start making attribution errors.

Even when we deal with single people we do this.  I may be feeling ill and am being quiet, but others may think I am being either shy, aloof, or judgmental.  The judgment of others has not basis in reality, but they assume it to be true.  And it often becomes the basis with which future interactions are framed.

How many arguments could be saved if we give the person the benefit of a doubt?  How many marriages could be saved?

I was just thinking:  When we are making FAE's about the other person, they are making FAE's about us!  How many conflicts are based solely on bad assumptions?

A country of Children

I so want to be a humanist.  I so want believe that people will do the good thing if only given the opportunity.  I SOOOOO want to believe that.  But, frankly, life does everything in its power to make me believe otherwise.

Would good humans allow their neighbors to go hungry?  Would good humans twist facts and take advantage of their neighbors weaknesses?   Would good humans say, "Do your job and don't complain or you'll be fired"?  I don't think so.

Supposedly, good humans not only look out for themselves, but also look out for others.  Supposedly good humans may give up some self-fulfillment in order to provide some fulfillment for others.  Supposedly good humans look beyond their own self-interest to the interest of those in their community.  The Humanists would say that just given enough time, humans would reach this point.

How long do we have to wait?  Humans have been around for 6,000 years! (Oops!) Humans have been around for millions of years.  You would think that we could finally reach that pinnacle.  But we haven't.  And quite sadly, I don't know if we ever will.  Too many people are too worried about their own preservation than to consider the preservation, let alone fulfillment, of those around them.

All that I seem to hear in the news is, "I want to have MY rights" or "I want to make sure that I am safe."  No thought about how WE can work together.  No thought about how good humans should work together.

Epiphany or Who were those Kings anyway?

Ah, Epiphany!  I remember as a kid singing the song about the Kings of Orien Tar.  Now, I didn’t know what Orien Tar was, I guessed it was kind of like Dubuque Steel or something.  And the part that really confused me was why these three kings would try to smoke a rubber cigar; totally confused me.  But I guessed if you were silly enough to try to smoke a rubber cigar, when it explodes you shouldn’t be too surprised.

But seriously, like many of you, I grew up with the tale of the three kings who would march around the living room to eventually show up at the stable just in time for us to take the Christmas tree down.  Never quite sure why they were there or why they were late to the party.  All I knew is these were kings and they brought some expensive gifts with them.

Well, as I grew, (and went to seminary!) I learned more about these kings.  I learned that they probably weren’t kings at all and we really don’t know how many of them there were.  We know that they are referred to as “Magi” which would lead us to believe that they were men of learning and highly respected.  We are told that they were Astrologers, which had a very different meaning in Biblical times than it does now.  Astrologers were the scientist of the times.  They were the ones who would do the experiments and seek to find the truth.  We also should remember that the Magi were probably Zoroastrians, a popular religion of the time, but definitely NOT Jewish.

So we have these odd men, these men from another county, and another religion, coming to seek Jesus.  We have these scientists traveling to find Jesus.  I don’t think it is a coincidence that the Magi were scientists, or that they were from another religion.  It shows us just how far reaching the message of Jesus is. This message reaches from the lowest of the shepherds to the learned and elite of other faith traditions.  With the Magi, we are shown that Christ’s message is not just for the “in group,” but for the whole world!  What we learn is that God is not going to settle for just the “tried and true” methods of spreading the message; God is going to use the unexpected, the absurd, and the preposterous.  God is going to send the message out in those forms where it will reach the people who need to hear.  We see the fulfillment of the spread of this message through these scientists of all people!  Often the religious people of today would have us believe that the scientific community is trying to destroy God, but God, in the people of the Magi, is showing us that science is not something to be feared, but is also a valid way to spread the message.

I find myself being pulled by God to seek out new ways to spread the message, and from talking with many of you here; I feel that God is moving you in the same direction.  We need to remember that one of the “locals” of the story, King Herod, was frightened by the message and the Magi.  He was afraid of what might be happening and that he may lose his power in the process.  Instead of embracing the message, Herod seeks to kill the massage.  (Quite literally!)  But even this one man’s powerful fear and powerful means of stopping the message would not stop the light of Christ from coming into the world.  The message of Christ will be spread, but will we be part of the process, or will we stand in its way?

The Epiphany can make us shudder in fear.  Our familiar and comfortable ways of experiencing the message of Christ may be getting yanked in all kinds of directions.  We may find those seeking the truth may not look like us, may not act like us, and may not even come from the same faith traditions as us.  People may be coming to seek Christ in the most unconventional of places.  But we need not fear these people.  They may seem alien to us as I am sure the Magi seemed to Mary and Joseph, but they come seeking the same Christ as we seek.  We don’t need to hide away from these people, we need to prepare ourselves for these seekers.  The question becomes:  When we meet these travelers, how are we going to respond? 

The Magi did not find Jesus by going to church and participating in Bible studies.  Now, granted, these are the “old faithful” ways that people come to faith, but these are not the only ways.  The Magi were looking to the skies and studying their maps.  They were using their God-given gifts and talents and stumbled upon this truth they needed to explore!  They probably did not think, “Humm, we need to go to Church.”  They were probably thinking that there was something more out there and they needed to find it!  When we stick to our cherished old ways of presenting God to the world, we may miss those who are staring up at the sky to find Christ.  We may miss those who do not follow the rules as we learned them.  We may miss the people who would never think of looking inside of a building.  And when we miss these people, not only do we miss the opportunity to share Christ’s love with them, but we also miss the truth that God has imparted to them.  When we miss the stranger, our life is lacking because of it.

I am sad because it seems that many branches of Christianity are turning away the Magi of today.  They respond as King Herod to the message these scientists bring.  It is as if anything that may seem to contradict the Bible is tossed aside.  If we do not like the message, we get rid of the messengers.  But we can see that God is so much bigger than that.  God did not run from the message of the Magi, but incorporated their truth into the greater truth that is for us all.  We do not need to fear the people looking into the sky but look up with them to see what we have been missing.

It is especially wonderful that we welcome three new people into the family of Christ on this day!  These children will see things that we could never even dream of!  These children will communicate in ways that are only science fiction right now.  A whole world of wonder stands before them.  My prayer is that church embraces these new ways of seeing, of doing, of being!  That we do not fear the message as Herod feared, but look to these travelers to teach us the things that have been imparted to them.  I also pray that we have the courage to share our truths with them; to pass our faith onto them and provide them with a care and guidance. And I finally pray that we have the faith to allow God to work in ways that may make us shudder in fear, but also may make us cry out in praise.

We have been greatly gifted by God.  We have our families, our church family, our newest members to our church family, and a community of people seeking truth.  We need to remember that God is going to call all kinds of people with all kinds of backgrounds and that we need not fear this.  God can bring all kinds of people together to learn and to find support.  And like Mary and Joseph, we can accept and cherish their gifts, or like Herod, we can lash out in fear.

A Belief That Gets Me In Trouble

I seriously believe in the adage, "Be the change you want to see."  And, unfortunately, this belief has gotten me into some trouble.  I will pick up cigarette butts that people have thrown down and hand them back to the people.  I have pointed out to people that the spot outside the mall, that they happen to be parked in, is a No Parking Zone.

I question why people should think that these rules do not apply to them.

This adage also tends to put a lot of pressure on me.  I have trouble going with the flow if I see something that I feel is wrong.  I think  sometimes we have the problems that we have because we don't want to get involved.  But if we just let things go, aren't we tacitly approving of it?  I don't know if the people in the no parking zone will never park there again, but I hope that they will think about it before they do.

Thoughts on Marriage Equality

Nik and I celebrated out First Wedding Anniversary yesterday.  We have been together for seven years, but we have only been legally married for one.  And from what I can tell, we have not destroyed a single heterosexual (or homosexual) marriage in the process.

This whole thing reminds me of bullying.  "We have it and we are not going to let you have it."  It reminds me of the "prestige" car effect:  We have a Cadillac, that makes us better than you!  Oh no, you can now afford a Cadillac!!  We have a Lexus, that makes us better than you!  The people complained because "teh gays" were just horny hormone bags, they really didn't want to do anything other than have sex.  But now "teh gays" want to settle down and have families.  "Oh no!  They are not just horny hormone bags!"  That would put "teh gays" on the same level as anyone else and we can't have that.  (Oh no, they want our Lexusi!)

Actually, what we considered our anniversary is actually more Biblical than most.  If we consider consummation the marker of marriage, our old date is much more Biblical.  But most usually don't want to think about that.  Lacking a formal way of recognition, we look for other ways to celebrate our bonds.  It might be Biblical, it may be when we move in together, it may be when we get our first lease.  That society is reluctant to provide a formal recognition is sad.  It reminds me of slaves jumping the broom; since those in power would not provide a recognized rite, the people came up with their own.
Again, the complaint was that gay people could not form bonds.  And when that is shown to be wrong, then we need to come up with something so we can keep thinking of LGBT people as "them."  It is so much easier to be cruel to a "them" than to  soften our hearts and think of those who might be different as "us."

Finding a Job

I need to find a job, but is right after Christmas the opportune time to look?  How to turn this into an opportunity.

Part of the problem is dealing with seasonal affective disorder and the frustration of not being able to find a congregation.  The inertia can become deadening.  (Part of the reason for doing these blogs, to start a pattern of accomplishments.)  For how much I question ever going back to the church, that is where my heart lies.

The demons in my head are constantly talking to me.  It takes a lot of energy to silence the litany of "You do everything wrong."  The amount of energy to look for the places where I have done things correctly can become tiring.  I know that I do not do everything wrong, but those deep planted comments have a way of taking root.  Maybe some light therapy will help!

Started  putting away the Christmas stuff for this past season.  Not as sad as in the past.  I guess, even with its financial lacks and all, this year was pretty good.  I guess I was not expecting a Christmas Miracle, so I was not upset when it didn't happen.  But not expecting a miracle allowed me to enjoy the Christmas that I had.

I have some stained glass work to keep me going too.  So if I can overcome the inertia, I have things that I can do.

Self-Imposed Challenge

I am going to try something this year.  It may be just a self-indulgence, but I hope it is something more.  I am going to try to blog something everyday.

I need to establish some form of discipline.  My cousin wrote hikus during December.  I am not that creative.  But maybe I can play with some thoughts here.  No guarantee these post will be worth reading, but I shall give it a shot.

Dilemma

I am a bit stuck.  A journalist wants to interview me for an article on the state of the church and LGBT people.  Now, I would love to tell my story.  I would love to shed some light on the growth that has been made.  But I also would love to point out where things have fallen short.

It is this second point that causes the dilemma.  If I truthfully (or at least the truth as I see it) am I slitting my throat?  They said that I can use a pseudonym, but considering Nic is also going to be in the article, it will be pretty easy to figure out who is speaking.

Yet, when the National Church makes a proclamation, but allows the local bishops to counter this proclamation, what does this say to the world?  Where are the courage of ones convictions?

30 Days to Go!

Santa is watching!  Oh, Nasty Santa!

Apology in advance

Something happened yesterday.  Yes, we re-elected Pres. Obama, but something else has happened.

I am greatly at peace with leaving the Episcopal church.  I know I have been chatting about this ad nausium, but this feels so much more real.

I got the word from the higher ups that a church I had been working with recently, and in the past, is just going to be allowed to die.  I have tried to talk with them, but have gotten no real answer.

I understand that everyone is overworked (except me!) and that resources are stretched thin, but I am getting tired of waiting for something to happen in the church.  I find no assistance in what I should be doing. I guess I should be smart enough to figure it out myself, but frankly, I am lost.

I feel very childlike in this situation and I am not comfortable with that.  Part of me want's someone to come and rescue me, but I know that is not helpful thinking in any way.

I will start pursuing credentialing in the MCC.  Maybe that will help.  I need to find job for the year or so that it will take to get credentialed.

Not optimal, but it is a way forward.

Oh, the apology: Sorry for always being so maudlin.

Two Months!

   

My Liberal Identity

You are a    Reality-Based Intellectualist, also known as the liberal elite. You are a   proud member of what's known as the reality-based  community, where science, reason, and non-Jesus-centric thought reign supreme.

Take the quiz at
About.com Political Humor

Observations Surrounding Circumstances

What I find interesting in the Facebook would is that people have difficulty with a clergy person having difficulty with life.

I stated that I find solitude most complete while being surrounded by people.  The return comment was, "you can find that in church."

I commented about not getting a call; the comments were "God has something better for your."

What I find telling is that a clergy and a therapist were the only people who said anything like, "that sucks!"

Sometimes the best thing you can do for a person is affirm that sometimes the world sucks.  People want a clergy that is all "happy, happy, joy, joy," but sometimes life isn't that way.  Sometimes life just sucks.

I would hope that my journey could be  means of creating a more realistic faith.  Being a person of faith does not mean that everything will be wonderful, but it does mean that we have tools for dealing with the difficulties.

If I said that I have never thought of pitching my faith out the window, I would be lying.  More than once I wanted to tell the world to just go to hell.  I have contemplated "shedding this veil of tears."  (Some might find that shocking, but if you have been reading this blog, it should come as no surprise.)  Still do consider shedding it, at times.

But I am one of those silly people who believes that if we want change, we need to be the ones making it.  I do believe that anger should be focused on changing the things that make us angry.  I am also a big picture person which can make life very frustrating.

I think it is possible to be a person of faith and to also doubt in the existence of God.  David did it.  Moses did it.  Even Jesus did it!  (Think Garden of Gethsemane.)

No wonder the Christian faith is failing:  We can't be Christian and be human.  How sad for us.

Another Rejection Letter

Yes, the position that seemed to have it all (literally!  Good location, good outreach, good social justice) turned me down.  I saw it posted on the church's Facebook page before they informed me.  Not necessarily the best way to find out things.

I am getting really tired of this.  Digs up all kinds of buried skeletons in my psyche.  My father's voice is the loudest with, "You can't do anything right.  Everything you touch, you break."  So, of course, this is all my fault.  My brain just keeps repeating how I am nothing but a failure.  I will never amount to anything because I will break anything I touch.

My rational mind tells me that this is all bogus, but the cowering little boy just wants to do something right so daddy will love me.

Yeah, I know, it is three months 'til Christmas.  But I am not really excited about that.

Arrr...It be Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Been Thinking

Lots of things have been going through my head over the past week or so. Being a clergy person in this world is not easy.  There are no quick answers.  There are no easy solutions

I get so frustrated with people who call themselves "Christians" yet act in a manner that I find totally at odds with what I think "Christian" should be.  I do not think "Christian" has anything to do with hatred or attacking others.  I do think "Christians" are to be about loving others.

I have been asked how I would respond to people who are of the Republican bent.  If they are not about social justice, I find it difficult.  Am I supposed to say that being selfish is ok?  Am I supposed to tell people that we are not to care for the widows and orphans?  Am I supposed to tell people that we are not to welcome the stranger?  I cannot see how one can be Christian and not do these things.  However, there is a large group of people who feel that one cannot be Christian and be about these social justice issues.  Am I supposed to tell these people that what they believe is ok, just so they will keep contributing to the church.  I can't do that with a clear conscience.

I also get frustrated when people think that those who would blow up consulates, or abortion clinics, or pretty much anything else is the proper way to spread the love of God or Allah, or whatever you choose to call a divine deity.  And then people assume that all "Christians" think this way and respond to me in sometimes rude and cruel ways.

Then there is the whole thing of trying to find a call at a church.  Wondering if it will ever happen and wondering if it is worth the effort.  Frankly, I am tired of the effort.  I keep saying that I can't go on, but I keep finding some way to do it.  Now, I am getting to the end of my rope.

Oh, and we have to move again by the end of October.  Where?  Who knows.

Life Was Getting Just A Little Too Comfortable

Last night, Nic came home from across the state as said, "Did you check your e-mail?"

When I checked, I found an e-mail telling us that the owner of the house we were housesitting was returning at the end of October.  Now, this, in and of itself, wouldn't be a bad thing.  However, with all the stuff that is in the air, it is horrible!

We don't quite know where or how we should move.  I am waiting on a possible call to a church in NC.  If that one falls through, there is the possibility of a place just 70 miles away from here.  The second one won't come about, thought, for almost 6 months.

Does Nic look for an apartment in the Detroit area?  If so, what size?  Do we move all of our stuff?  Do we put it in storage?  Should I rip all my hair out?

Never a dull moment.

Was Jesus a Racist?

There are some things in life we just do not like to talk about.  And often we get reminded that certain subjects are not appropriate for “polite company.”  But if we do not speak about them, then how do we grow?  If we don’t speak about them, then falsehoods and misinformation abounds.

Today’s gospel and epistle readings are just such topics.  These are not really pleasant things to talk about, especially in front of congregation of people, and a diverse congregation at that!  But I am going to press on here and hope that I don’t irreparably offend anyone.  I will probably offend someone along the way, but that is bound to happen.  I guess it is better to offend someone and get the topic open than to never ever bring it up because we want to be nice.

The topic I want to discuss is prejudice.

It is really kind of fun to read the commentaries about today’s gospel reading.  People do so many mental gymnastics to try to take the sting out of Jesus’ words to the Syropheonetian woman.  There are attempts to make it into a series of jokes.  (Ha ha, you dog!)  There are attempts to say that the “dog” that Jesus is talking about is a lap dog like a Yorkie or something.  (Which is still offensive, in my opinion.)  And still others who say that Jesus was rude to make a point.  (To make a point at the expense of a grieving mother is just wrong!)  We cannot get around the point that Jesus does something very un-Jesuslike. 

What we need to remember is that prejudice is not a new thing; it is as old as people.  In Jesus’ time, gentiles were considered on a par with dogs.  To be Jewish during Biblical times was to consider oneself on a higher level than non-Jews.  It was just the way things were; it was just part of society.  And I am guessing it was not something people questioned much.

Who are the people we consider below us?  This is a difficult question to ask and an even more difficult one to answer.  I am sure we like to think of ourselves as kind and loving people.  We do not want to consider that we might lift ourselves to a higher level than others.  However much we would like to think we are above prejudice, we all have our biases.  I will admit that I am prejudice toward Caucasian people.  Being born white and spending most of my formative years around white people has instilled prejudices in me.  I am prejudice toward intellectuals.  I have spent many years in college and have grown quite accustomed to people with advanced degrees.  I am prejudiced toward the middle class and toward moderate Christians.  Guess how I grew up?  That’s right!  I grew up in a middle class, Christian, home.  The things that surround us become the things that are accepted and become the prejudices that we really need to work to uncover.

For the sake of argument, since Jesus was fully human while being fully God, we can assume that Jesus also had some prejudices.  Jesus, being part of his society, made assumptions about situations.  And like us, these assumptions may not have been entirely accurate.  Now this may be making some people uncomfortable.  We do not like to think about Jesus having human foibles.  But in seeing Jesus work through one of these foibles, we can learn how we may grow in faith and learn to deal with others around us.

You will notice again, that the interaction with the woman occurs face-to-face.  Jesus must confront the person, she is standing right there.  With the woman standing there, Jesus must put a face and a story to the prejudice he is feeling.  He can’t just call her a gentile dog and move on.  She is there, she has a story, and she has a request.

Our prejudices thrive when we isolate ourselves from the object of that prejudice.  It is easy to think that a transgender person is just a man in a dress, or that Republicans are just old white men.  It is easy to think that black people are lazy or that gay people are all effeminate.   It is easy to think that Muslims are all terrorists or that Christians are judgmental bigots.  I sure we can come up with more stereotypes.  If there is a group of people out there, there is a stereotype for them.  And as long as we don’t ever have to come face-to-face with these groups, we don’t ever need to challenge our prejudices.

I think another danger is the assumption that we don’t have prejudices.  One woman in one of my past congregations said to me concerning gay people, “Most people are not like me.  I have no problem with them…but they better not want to come here and change everything.”  She did not catch it within herself.  In her mind, she was totally open and accepting of THEM.  But also, the people she spoke of would always be THEM.

When the Woman started talking to Jesus, he thought of her as THEM.  And if she would have walked away, Jesus may have continued to think of her as THEM.  But the Woman continued and her persistence helped Jesus to see that the distinction he was making between the Jews and the Gentiles was an arbitrary distinction. At the core, we are all people who need to rely on each other to make it through life.

A trend that you hopefully noticed over the past weeks is the trend toward relationships.  So often we think that all we need to do is throw money at situations and they will get better.  But Jesus invites us into relationship.  Jesus calls us together, to sit down together, to talk together, to listen.  Jesus calls us into diversity, not to impose our beliefs on others, but to learn from each other; Jesus does not force the woman to become a Jew before helping her.  He is reminded of her humanity and therefore changes his mind and helps her.  (This is the only place in the gospels where Jesus changes his mind!)

I think it is wonderful that you are reaching out into the community.  Having meals for the local people is a great thing!  But it is just the beginning!  Going to Haiti is a great thing!  All of these things are wonderful!  But this is not the place stop.  I have seen congregations hang their whole outreach on a Thanksgiving Dinner; it is a good place to start, but we are continually called to reach out into our community.  How else do we get to know people, face-to-face?  How do we move beyond thinking of another as THEM instead of as one of US?

We are called to look beyond our prejudices.  We are called to honestly face judgments and stop making excuses for the ways we belittle others.  Jesus gives us the tools to look beyond our preconceived notions and truly opens our eyes.  We may be uncomfortable with Jesus’ actions in this reading.  We may not like what he does.  But this needs to remind us of our own actions and should make us just as uncomfortable.  In the end, all are still called to the table and all are welcomed by Christ.  But how about us, Christ’s hands and heart in the world.  Are we willing to accept all in the same way?